Product Development in Net-Shape Metal Powder Technologies

Dear Colleagues,

Metal powder net-shape and near net-shape technologies are increasingly generating interest, as they allow producing parts as close as possible to their final shape, eliminating or reducing secondary operations, and consequently reducing scrap, costs, time to market, and the environmental impact. Among them, press and sinter, metal injection molding, and recently, metal additive manufacturing are attractive to a huge market. Nevertheless, the specific characteristics of such technologies must be carefully considered, aiming at best exploiting the benefits. The well-known product development process, which implies the consideration of the synergistic influence of the material, shape and production process in a collaborative environment, is a crucial and difficult task when dealing with such technologies. Metal powders for conventional powder metallurgy strongly differ from metal powders for additive manufacturing, and their characteristics may dramatically affect the properties of final parts. The inappropriate definition of the process parameters inevitably introduces defects in the part at a geometric and microstructural level that detrimentally affect its functioning in operation and its structural reliability. The shape of products must be optimized according to the peculiarities of the technology. Moreover, aiming at obtaining parts as close as possible to their final shape, dimensional and geometrical control is a crucial aspect to be considered in the design step. Depending on the technology, the designer must consider the influence of many different variables, both related to modeling platforms and to process parameters. In addition, the parameters of the metallurgical process must be carefully defined, since they strongly affect the final microstructure and the onset of distortions, residual stresses and different types of localized or diffuse defects.

This Special Issue invites papers concerned with product development in net-shape and near net-shape metal powder technologies from different points of view, considering the whole life-cycle of the products, and the need for collaboratively evaluating the many different variables affecting the characteristics of the final product.

Prof. Dr. Ilaria Cristofolini
Prof. Dr. Nora Lecis
Prof. Dr. Vigilio Fontanari
Guest Editors

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